STAR (Kimi no Na wa Star, “Your Name is Star”) （君の名わスター) • Keiko Konno • DMP (2007) • Frontier Works (2004) • 1 volume • Yaoi • 18+
Hirokawa, a straight-laced salaryman, finds himself drawn to Sodou, a hip, boyish coworker who moonlights as a singer in a sidewalk jazz band. Although the manga includes some racy sex scenes, it’s much more preoccupied with the minutiae of relationships—not just the romance between Hirokawa and Sodou, but the surrounding swirl of office politics, friendships between bandmates, and disgruntled ex-girlfriends. The core of the story, Sodou’s refusal to open up and accept love, is never really explained, nor does it build to a satisfying climax. The numerous subplots mostly go nowhere, with Sodou’s jazz band particularly underused; with a group of colorful struggling musicians in the cast, why are we forced to spend so much time sitting through office gossip? Konno’s art is strong, and the two leads have some cute romantic moments, but the plot is meandering and frustrating. (Review by Shaenon Garrity)
It’s the weekend, and that means yaoi at 365 Days of Manga! This review was written by the amazing Shaenon Garrity, one of my friends who contributed to Manga: The Complete Guide.
Speaking of yaoi, we also have a new photo of a winner — Juliana B.! Here she stands bearing her hard-won Boy’s Love gems!
Lastly, we have a new winner, of course: Robert M. of North Carolina! Congratulations, Robert! As the manga trucks continue loading and unloading, day and night, the 365 Days of Manga continue…
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